Stop fooling Yourself
by AbbyGibbs
Summary: It's time for special agent Gibbs to face the truth about his life and his feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**Stop fooling Yourself **

**Author**: AbbyGibbs

**Disclaimers:** Well, I do not own them and that is pretty unfair – they again belong to DPB! Why does he always have to own the best shows and the best characters? Could someone explain that to me? His characters are always suffering too much. So I have decided to borrow them for a little while, the length of a story, but I promise to give them back though I really wish I could keep them for myself. Dawn Wilkerson is mine

**Classification:** hurt/comfort/romance

**Pairing:** Abby/Gibbs. What else?

**Rating:** T (for now)

**Spoilers:** none.

**Summary:** It's time for special agent Gibbs to face the truth about his life and his feelings.

**Author's note: This story, I wrote for myself, in the first place because I really thought for a moment, that I was completely done with writing, but thanks to my really great friends Maria, Laci and Michelle to whom I'm dedicating this story, I'm still here, doing it. ****Mention of some Characters of JAG just for the purpose of this story. Don't own a damn thing! **

**Thanks to Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, David McCallum and all the other for giving life to the wonderful characters of NCIS. **

**Feedbacks:** well, I'd love them, of course – who wouldn't? But please, only if you respect my work because it takes a lot of time and energy to get a story together. I love writing; I wouldn't allow anyone to discourage me from doing so, never. I don't have any problems at all with readers who choose not to go for this, but I decidedly do with those who write disrespectful mails just because they didn't get the ending they would have wanted. If you want to tell me what I might have done better within the story I made up, you're always very welcome to let me know. But if your only concern is to rant about it, then please, do it in private, okay? Thank you.

**But those who like it drop a review, please!**

**Stop fooling Yourself**

**Chapter One**

This was crazy, Abby thought. Gibbs was finally back from Mexico. He came back to stay, she had what she wanted, so why did she feel betrayed? Abby couldn't stop thinking that Gibbs had betrayed her.

He left, leaving her behind without any explanation or consideration for what she felt. Didn't he respect her more? Wasn't she his best friend, like she always thought she was? Gibbs was her boss, sure, but they had developed a tie bond. At least that's what she thought, but obviously she's been wrong.

If they had, he wouldn't treat her the way he did. Best friends were supposed to talk to one another... thank goodness, this time, he didn't leave without saying goodbye, but still. Abby was heartbroken by the way Gibbs had handle things.

**000**

"Don't you think, Abby, is acting strangely?" McGee asked Tony as they were on their way to the car.

Tony thought about his colleague's question for a minute. It was true, that he thought Abby different lately. There was something off about her. She seemed more distant with all of them. And the vivid sparkle in her eyes was gone. It had all started when Gibbs resigned from NCIS. Tony would never forget that day. Gibbs had given him the leadership of his team. Everything was different from that moment on.

"Yeah, actually, she is."

"I thought it would have been better by now. Now that Gibbs is back, but the fact that the boss is back seems to make it all worse." McGee remarked.

DiNozzo couldn't deny that Tim was right. Since Gibbs' return, she was even more distant. All the time he'd been in Mexico, all she'd wanted was for their boss to come home to D.C., and now that he had, she didn't talk to him anymore. She even seem to avoid him. It had come to the point, he would sent one of them to her lab to get the test results instead of collecting them himself.

Something in their relationship seemed to be broken, the strong bond they seemed to have for so many years had been shaken. Tony really hoped that it could be repaired, he really hoped it with all his heart because all the team was suffering from the situation. But the one who was mostly affected by it was too damn proud to make the first step.

DiNozzo sighed heavily "I know, McGee. But I think our boss really hurt our forensic scientist."

"Well, let me remind you that, he hurt us all by leaving for Mexico even if today, I can understand why he did it."

"You're right, but I think he broke Abby's heart."

McGee stopped walking at Tony's remark and pulled at his arm to make him stop as well. "Hey!"

Timothy ignored the furious look in his friend's eyes. "What do you mean, you think he broke Abby's heart?"

"Think about it, McSmarty. First Gibbs almost dies in a explosion, because of that explosion he ends up in a coma, when he come finally out of it, all he remembers is the time he's spent with his wife and daughter. He doesn't remember us or Abby ... and to top it all when he finally does. He tries to prevent people from a certain dead, but no one listens, and what does are boss do in responds? He leaves."

"You mean, you think, Abby, took his departure as a betrayal?"

"Yes, McGee, that is exactly what I think. Even if he said goodbye this time. He didn't give any of us, an explanation, he just left without even looking back as if we didn't matter."

McGee nodded remembering the events and how Abby's eyes had watered when he'd kissed her cheek. He had felt helpless himself and that feeling had grown deeper when he had watched the doors of the elevator close up on him.

"We can't let this escalate more between them, Tony we have to find a way for them to talk to each other again."

"I couldn't agree more with you on that, probie."

"I'm not a probie anymore," McGee started to protest, but Tony just smiled before started to walk toward the car again. Tomorrow was a brand new day he thought has he dropped Tim by his place, before going to his apartment.

_Let's sleep on it._

**000**

DiNozzo knew McGee was right; they had to do something and fast our the family they had all built together as a team would explode soon. The question was... what exactly could they do to prevent the worst from happening? He decided to first try and go talk to Abby. She might listen. Hopefully she would listen.

He headed for her lab and was surprised, she wasn't there. He went to see if she wasn't with Ducky and Palmer, but she wasn't there either and they told him they hadn't seen her yet today. Tony went back to the bullpen then and was about to ask Ziva if she had seen Abby, but the latest member of the team wasn't there either.

_Okay, since when does everyone disappear? And where's Gibbs? _

"Where is everyone, Timothy McGee asked as he entered the bullpen carrying coffees in both his hands.

"That is a very good question, but I'm afraid, I can't provide you an answer for this one." Tony said to his colleague and friend.

"Here, Tony." He said handing a coffee.

"Thanks, to what did I deserve this?" DiNozzo asked curious.

"Nothing." McGee smiled a bit mischievously.

The other man eyed him suspiciously then something in his eyes shifted and Tim knew Tony had understood the gesture.

"Thanks, probie." he then took a sip of his coffee, and looked at his watch.

Lunch, yes, they could have gone after their lunch, or Gibbs could have gone after coffee. But still he found it pretty strange that none of them had said anything. And it didn't help him to find out where Abby was.

What was the right thing to do? DiNozzo thought for a minute then decided to ask McGee to trace Abby's cell phone. Tim looked at him surprised. The surprise then turned into concern and uncertainty. He wasn't sure this was the right thing to do.

"Just to it. You want to help her or not?"

He nodded his head and his fingers started to move on the keyboard. A few moments later a red circled showed up on the screen.

The two men eyed each other when they realized where Abby's cell phone was located. "Vietnam Veterans Memorial"

"What is she doing there?" They both wondered out loud.

Of all the places where she could have been going to, this one wasn't an option they would have considered. Then McGee traced another cell phone number.

"Ziva's with her." Tim announced then.

One of Tony's eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "Do you think Ziva thought the same way we did about the boss and Abbs?" He wondered looking at the man who was still standing at his desk.

"I'm not sure she really thinks the same way we do, Tony, but I'm certain she noticed Abby's strange behavior toward Gibbs. Maybe she decided to go talk to her, with Ziva David, you never know."

A smile appeared on Tony's lips at McGee's remark. "You sure right about that one." He took another gulp of coffee and thought for a moment. He still wondered why Gibbs had left as well, at first he'd been certain the man went for a coffee, but as he checked his watch once again, the special agent realized, it was taking him too much time.

As he looked over at Tim, Tony noticed that he suddenly seemed to look embarrassed about something. "What is it, McGee?"

"Huh... the boss..." he started.

"What about the boss?"

"He is... he is..."

"He's what, McMutter? Talk for god's sake."

"He's at the Reflecting Pool" He finally told DiNozzo.

"And how can you be so sure of where he is?"

McGee then look as if he were a kid again, who had just done something he wasn't supposed to. Tony really did his best to suppress a smile.

"I traced the boss's cell phone too."

"You did what?"

"I trac..."

"I heard you, I'm just surprised you found the guts to do so," Tony commented.

"I wouldn't have done so if the circumstances didn't demand it, Tony. The happiness of our family depends on it." He looked at DiNozzo with a stern gaze.

Anthony didn't say anything, he simply nodded his head, his friend had just voiced his own thoughts. He reached for his cell phone then. Tim watched as his colleague flipped open the device, his thumb pressing one digit before he placed the phone close to his ear.

"Ziva?"

["Yeah, Tony?"]

"Is Abby with you by any chance?" He asked her. He didn't want her to know he actually knew where she was, and with whom she was and he definitely didn't want to be engaged in a conversation where he would have to explain why McGee had traced her phone as well as Abby's and Gibbs's.

["Yes, she is."] Ziva answered as she looked at Abby.

"Okay, then. I was starting to get worried, I wanted to check on her earlier, but couldn't find her anywhere."

He heard Ziva excuse herself toward Abby for a minute and, he guessed that Ziva David wanted to tell him something, she didn't want, their mutual friend to hear.

["Tony we have to do something to help Gibbs and Abby to talk to one another again, for everyone's sake. The situation is getting out of hand, here. I never thought she would reacted the way she did. This is so... so..."]

"Un-Abby-like?" He finished for her.

["Yes! Un-Abby-like."]

"I know Ziva, I know..." He sighed heavily.

["She doesn't even want to listen to what I try to tell her, I tried to tell her that Gibbs probably had his reasons and that I'm sure he felt betrayed by the military and everything he believed in when the boat exploded. That it is why he left for Mexico. Tony she simply doesn't want to hear any of it. To her he betrayed her."] Ziva explained to the man on the other side of the phone and he couldn't help but feel sad when he heard the sadness and defeat in her voice.

"He broke her heart. Where are you, guys?"

Ziva couldn't help but think that Tony was right. She'd only been with NCIS for a year, and had observed them and she couldn't deny that Gibbs and Abby's relationship was in so many ways different than the relationship they shared with the other members of the team. They cared deeply about each other.

It was so easy to read Abby's feelings for Gibbs on her face, definitely during his time away in Mexico. And though their boss wasn't so easy to read as an open book, agent David suspected that he shared the same feelings. His problem was that he was afraid — afraid of those feelings, and probably afraid to expose her to any potential danger. He forgot one thing though that the decision was hers to make.

She really hoped for everyone's sake that they would find a way to talk to each other and be able to repair what had been broken.

["We are at _The Vietnam Veterans Memorial_. Abby asked me if I wanted to accompany her and I said yes, in hope that maybe, she would talk to me about what had happened and how she felt about it all, but so far she hasn't said a word..."] Ziva told him.

"Well, I think I have a solution for you, Gibbs is about 0.3 mile away from both of you. Our boss is at the Reflecting Pool." Tony said.

Hearing that, Ziva couldn't help but smile. ["You ask McGee to trace his phone?"]

"No. It was his own idea."

["Give our MIT graduated, a kiss on the cheek for me." ]

"Huh? You seriously want me to give him a kiss on the cheek? I wouldn't mind, but I'm not sure he would really like it." He teased.

She chuckled, "I bet he wouldn't."

"Give him one yourself when you get back. So what do you plan on doing for our _'parents'_" he asked her, referring to Gibbs and Abby as if they were a real family.

"Don't worry, our 'parents' won't get a divorce, I'm even sure they'll renew their vows when they'll finally talk."

Ziva heard her friend laughing at the other end of the line, and smiled as well. It felt good to hear him laugh not that she would ever confess that to him or anyone else for that matter.

"You'll call me if there is any progress between them, right?" Tony asked her.

["No, I won't."] She couldn't help but say.

"Ziva." He said her name in a frustrated voice.

["Tony what kind of a question is that, of course, I will call if there is any development between them."] She said.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit on edge, I guess."

["We all are, Tony, we all are. Talk to you later."]

"Later," he answered before ending his phone conversation.

He then saw Ducky coming out of the elevator, and the ME seemed slightly agitated.

Ducky stopped a few inches from him and looked at him seriously before saying, "We've got to do something for Jethro and Abby."

Tony smiled as well as Timmy. And they both answered Dr. Mallard in unison. "We're working on it."

Ducky looked at both men questioningly. In answer they both pointed out toward the screen. The NCIS medical examiner went closer to the screen to take a better look and asked what he was looking at, just to make sure he understood what his eyes were seeing.

Tim explained everything to Ducky before Tony told him what Ziva had told him and the older man laughed at that. "Yes, they will renew their vows indeed."

**TBC...**

**Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be posted, tomorrow**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Like I said, in the note before Harmon Rabb, Jr will be mentioned in the story which by this means that there will be references to the crossover episodes "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown" when NCIS was introduced for the first time to us.**

**Previously on: "Stop fooling Yourself"**

_He then saw Ducky coming out of the elevator, and he seemed slightly agitated. Their M.E. stopped a few inches from him and look at him seriously before saying, "We've got to do something for Jethro and Abby."_

_Tony smiled as well as Timmy. And they both answered Dr. Mallard in unison. "We're working on it." _

_Ducky looked at both men questioningly. In answer they both pointed out toward the screen. The NCIS medical examiner went closer to the screen as asked what he was looking at, just to make sure he understood what his eyes were looking at._

_Tim explained everything to Ducky before Tony told him what Ziva at told him and the older man laughed at that and said. "Yes, they will renew their vows indeed."_

**Chapter Two **

Abby was walking slowly along the black granite wall, incurved with the names of those who had perished during Vietnam War. She still couldn't believe there were so many losses. 58,621 names, two walls and lots of tears. Too many lives abruptly ended.

"Abby, why are we here?" Ziva asked her.

"I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know what else to do, Ziva. I needed to be away from everything, and..."

"From Gibbs..." Her friend finished for her.

The forensic scientist looked down at her gloved hands. "Yes away from Gibbs." She confessed to Ziva.

"Abby?" Ziva started, waiting for her friend to look at her.

When she didn't look up, she called her name again. "Abby look at me." She demanded.

The emerald eyes finally looked at her then. They were shinning with unshed tears.

Stunned agent David placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. This was the prove that like they all thought, Abby had been more affected by Gibbs' actions of the last few weeks and months than she would have admitted it. And this wasn't like her, Abby showed her emotions in public, to her friends, to her family she never kept anything inside, it was her was to deal with everything that was going around her.

Which made her wonder why Abby was acting so differently this time.

"Why? Why didn't he trust us?"

It took a moment for Ziva to understand what Abby referred to. "I'm rather inclined to think, he didn't trust himself anymore, Abby. He's been through a lot and, well things didn't quite turn as he's expected them to. I think he was disappointed in the NAVY, but mostly he was disappointed in himself. Because he thought he could have done more to prevent the events from happening. I retired to Mexico because he felt he couldn't face the team anymore. It wasn't us he didn't trust, Abbs, it was himself."

"You mean, he chose the easy way and ran. Except there is no running from your problems, Ziva, their run after you. They don't magically disappear because you walk away."

"I know, Abby, but sometimes, it's the only choice you have to protect ourselves."

"Maybe but I can't help feeling that he has abandoned me... us, Ziva." Abby told her as her right hand absently caressed the letters on the granite wall.

_Cold _that's the first word that came on the forensic scientist's mind, before she realized the sensation was the same in her heart, it felt cold, since the day Gibbs had left. She thought the sensation would've been gone by now, he was back after, but if anything the sensation of coldness in her heart felt even stronger.

"Abby..." Ziva started, but the NCIS lab rat stop her with her index finger gently placed on her lips.

"I know what you are trying to do, and I think it's very sweet of you, but there is no use. You can't stop the cold feeling that has set in my heart, can you?"

Ziva sighed heavily almost in defeat. This wasn't going to be as easy as she thought he would. She watched as Abby turned her eyes on the wall so she could see the letter incurved on her fingertips. When the name revealed itself as she slowly moved her fingers from the name, she gasped and her eyes filled with tears.

"Abby? What's wrong?"

She asked first thinking it was because of something she had said about Gibbs, but then she realized it must have been the name on the wall she was staring at, at that very moment.

"It's the name of Captain Harmon Rabb, Jr's father." She whispered.

"Harmon Rabb, Jr?" Ziva questioned.

Abby slowly nodded her head, it was way before you joined us at NCIS, way before Director Sheppard. We met him because he was accuse of the murder of Lieutenant... Singer, I think her name was. Gibbs hated him, he didn't have to say so. One look at him and you could see that for Gibbs he was guilty. One of the only times, I know, his face was easy readable."

That made the woman who was listening frown. Gibbs was not the kind of man to have a judgment on anybody before he knew them, or had investigate them.

The forensic scientist smiled at her and explained, "Captain, Harmon Rabb, Jr, is a JAG lawyer..."

The words explained why Gibbs at reacted the he did then. Gibbs hated lawyers.

Abby continued then, "Luckily for Harm, you was still Commander at the time, Gibbs is driven by the call of Justice and he was never give up until of finds out the all truth."

It didn't escape Ziva that Abby had use a pet name, and that probably meant she knew him well enough. That didn't surprise her unduly. Abby made friends with everyone.

"The Captain didn't kill the Lieutenant?" She asked curious.

"No, he did not. Harm's no a cold blooded killer. He was framed, by Lt. Theodore Lindsey. A poor imbecile who could live with the idea that Harm got promoted while he considered he was the one who should have had it."

"But why kill this Lieutenant... Singer then. Don't tell me, he chose to kill her just like that to frame the Rabb?"

Abby was about to reply when another voice did it for her.

"No. Lindsey had an affair with Lt. Loren Singer. She was pregnant and Lindsey thought he was the father of her baby and he didn't want to risk her telling everything to his wife..."

"I wasn't the father then?"

This time, Abby answered. "No, he wasn't. Lindsey took a life and chose to jeopardized everything he had for nothing. He could have saved her when she hit her head on the railing, but he thought that it might be better for him to have her dead, not thinking that this decision would actually have the opposite effect than what he wanted to achieve." She said looking at Gibbs.

At her last words, Gibbs at the impression that she wasn't talking about Lindsey, but instead was referring to him. The NCIS team knew then that he had to talk to her in one way or another she had to make understand that the decision he made to retire and go to Mexico had nothing to do with her. Or any of them. She had to, he needed to clear the air with her...

_Damn Gibbs you should have thought things more thoroughly before leaving to pay Mike Franks a visit. _He realized when he saw the hurt in her usually so expression and joyful emerald he loved so much.

He had sworn to himself to protect her and be sure she would never get her by anyone, well he failed miserably at his mission, because he was the one who caused her biggest pain right now. Why hadn't he seen it? Simply because he chose not to see it when it was there. He didn't want to see it, because he wanted to leave. Leave everything behind and run, run from everything he had become.

Gibbs suddenly realized that all he had been doing was fooling himself, he had been lying to himself for weeks months, because nothing could change or erase the past. No matter how much we would love to. It just a part of what makes us uniquely us. Mistakes and all. Gibbs sighed heavily as he looked at Abbs, the woman who had in spite of himself find a way to his heart.

She was looking at him, and what she say in his icy blue eyes make her heart break into a billion pieces. She realized then and there that she had hurt him as much as he had hurt her, and that is something she couldn't bear, she had to do something so the hurt would vanish from his beautiful eyes. She felt her own eyes feel with fresh tears.

They needed to talk.

Abby looked at Ziva who nodded simply.

"If you need anything just call, okay?"

A smile caressed Abby's lips in response. And she watched the latest member of their team walk away. The forensic scientist had the impression though that she wouldn't be going far away...

**000**

Gibbs walked slowly closer to Abby who watched him approach, her heart raising. She felt nervous for some reason. This conversation would make them or break them, but whatever the outcome would be, it was going to be live changing, of that she was sure.

Gibbs stopped as he was standing a mere inch away from her. He didn't say anything, she didn't either, they looked at each other for a long moment, before he reached out and pulled her toward him in a fierce hug. She hugged him back just with the same intensity. Abby finally let her tears fall freely then. Her body shaking against his. He didn't say a word, he just held her tight has he leg his chin rest on the top of her eyes. He was fighting to keep his own emotions at bay.

This wasn't like him, he didn't know why he had so much difficulty to hold his own feelings inside like he could do it so well normally. Was it because he was finally able to hold her back in his arms again? Was it the place where they were standing? He had no idea and he didn't care what mattered was that he had his Abby back in his arms.

Wait a minute... His Abby? Since when had she become his in his mind?

She wasn't his. She was no one's.

"I miss you," he murmured, and she could feel his chin move slightly on the top of her head as he said the words.

When her body stopped shaking from all the crying she pulled away from him, to looked at him and told him in a shaking voice still full of sobs. "I missed, you, too."

A soft smiled appeared on his lips when he looked at her puffy face, and rimmed red eyes.

"I think, it's time for us, to talk, don't you think?"

She smiled at him through her teary eyes and you nodded her head positively.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her then.

Abby hunched her shoulder a little, and said, don't know. "I don't really care as long as I'm with you." She told him.

Gibbs smiled at her and, he pulled her to him again in another tight hug. He marveled at how good it felt to hold her in his arms. He had missed the contact of her body against his during the time she'd refused to talk to him or even see him. Why is it that you only realize what you miss in your life when it's gone? Life had definitely strange way to make you see that, though.

Mike had tried to make him understand that, during the time he was with him in Mexico, but as usual Gibbs hadn't listened. Of course he hadn't listened why would he? Everyone knew that NCIS special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was as stubborn as a mule.

**000**

In silence at first they started to walk together, Gibbs had is arm right arm around her shoulders. They walked like this in silence for a few minutes enjoying their renewed closeness when Gibbs broke the silence. He was determined to know exactly what he had done to make that much hurt shine in her eyes earlier so he asked.

"Abbs, why were you so upset about me even after I got back?"

Gibbs felt her shoulder tense up under his arm at his question. Abby looked at her moving feet as she answered him. "It felt to me as if you betrayed me, Gibbs, when you chose to leave us, me, behind."

"Ziva basically told you everything." He responded.

Abby wasn't surprised that Gibbs had heard that conversation between herself and Ziva. But still she want to hear the words from him mouth and she wanted to know what made him come back.

"I want you to tell me, Gibbs, I want to hear the words from you."

The stopped walking then, he turned himself so that they were standing in front of each other now and sigh heavily before he explained the reason why he quit his job at NCIS.

"I was scared, Abbs. I had the impression I couldn't control anything anymore. Leaving seemed the best thing to do for me at that time, now I realized how stupid that decision was, but back then it was the safest for me."

"Running away is never a solution, Gibbs, 'cause the problems keep following you." She said looking at him.

"I know." He said as he took a step closer to her so he could lean his forehead against hers. He smiled then and said, "I need to stop fooling myself about my 'retirement' and call my actions by their real names. I quit, and it was one of my two biggest mistakes in the last few months..."

"What's the second one?" She asked in a low curious voice.

Gibbs hesitate a moment, but decided to go for the truth. "Walking away from you, and leaving you behind."

Abby felt her eyes watering at his words, and placed her arms around him and tugged him to her. "I should have told you from the start what was going on. I acted like a child, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Abbs, we're good again." he told her softly as he held her close to him.

"Can I ask you, something?"

"Hmmm Humm"

"Why did you come back?"

"Officially it's because of the director, because she pointed some things out to me, that I couldn't deny were true, but the real reason is..." He trailed off.

Abby pulled her head back, just enough to be able to look at him when she pressed on softly.

"The real reason is?"

"I came back for you. I missed you too much, Abby." He said looking in her shinning green pools.

"Oh," she gasped in surprise.

Gibbs leaned his head forward then and brushed his lips briefly against her red painted lips. Another smile find its way to his lips then as he said, "another thing I fooled myself about... My feelings for you.

A single tear escaped for her right eye and he caught it with his thumb. "Your feelings for me?" She repeated in a broken voice.

Gibbs nodded his head slowly, "yes, Abby, I'm in love with you." He whispered to her.

More tears escaped from her eyes then as she smiled through them.

"I'm in love with you, too." She whispered back and hugged him tightly against her, she wanted to kiss him, but out of respect of where they were standing she didn't. He wants would have to wait. After a few moments, they pulled away from one another and he intertwined his fingers with her as the slowly walked side by side.

TBC...

**Thanks for reading, sorry for the mistakes. The next chapters will be posted tomorrow.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Gibbs is a bit different, but different can be good sometimes, right? Well let's hope you think the same thing and enjoy it as much as I do while I'm writing this. And before I forget, this story is also dedicated to my friend Michelle.**

**Previously on: "Stop fooling Yourself"**

_Gibbs leaned his head forward then and brushed his lips briefly against her red painted lips. Another smile find its way to his lips then as he said, "another thing I fooled myself about... My feelings for you._

_A single tear escaped for her right eye and he caught it with his thumb. "Your feelings for me?" She repeated in a broken voice._

_Gibbs nodded his head slowly, "yes, Abby, I'm in love with you." He whispered to her. _

_More tears escaped from her eyes then as she smiled through them._

_"I'm in love with you, too." She whispered back and hugged him tightly against her, she wanted to kiss him, but out of respect of where they were standing she didn't. He wants would have to wait. After a few moments, they pulled away from one another and he intertwined his fingers with her as the slowly walked side by side._

**Chapter Three**

"Gibbs?"

"Yes, Abbs."

"Would it be okay for you if we would go and drink a coffee to talk some more?" She asked him in a small voice.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the tone of her voice because it almost sounded shy.

She looked at him a bit startled by his reaction. "What?"

"You do realize you sounded shy, right?"

She looked down at her feet, though a small smile appeared on her lips. Gibbs hooked his index finger under her chin, so she would looked at him again. When her green emeralds met with his icy blue ones his smiled.

"Abby nothing has changed, we're still us."

"I know, Gibbs, I know, but I still cannot believe it. Do you know for how long I've wanted this? To have you for myself, to finally be able to tell and show you how much you mean to me?"

"I might have an idea..." He told a bit mischievously.

"Cocky agent Gibbs, aren't we?"

As a response he wiggled his eyebrows, a bit à la Tom Selleck when he plays Thomas Magnum. Abby couldn't help but laugh.

"You are unbelievable." Abby told him before titling her head to the side, why was it, that suddenly she had the impression, he had always known how she felt about him.

"Why haven't you ever said anything?" She asked.

"What?"

"You knew, didn't you? You've always known how I felt about you. Am I right? So why didn't you say anything?" Abby asked and stopped walking.

Gibbs stopped as well and looked at her. "I had suspicions, yes, and I didn't say anything because even if I shared the feelings for a long while, now and still do, I consider myself too old for you, Abbs, and before you say anything, let me finish, okay?"

As answer, Abby only nodded her head.

"I consider myself too old for you, even though I know you don't care about the age difference, and it has never stopped me before, but with you it's different, I don't t want to mess up our friendship, but I can't stand seeing you go out with some random guy either... for some reason when it comes to you I'm selfish. I love you Abbs, there isn't anything I can do about it. I've tried to tell myself I couldn't fall in love with you, that I shouldn't be in love with you, but my heart doesn't want to listen, it has chosen you, no matter what I do. I've tried to date other women, but it didn't work. You're the only one I think of even when I'm with them. I guess, I can't deny it anymore: I want you, Abby, only you, I could keep lying to myself, but where would it lead me? So I decided to finally tell you and take the big jump to see where it would take me..."

Abby smiled through her watery eyes and asked him "could you say that again?"

Gibbs chuckled "Which part?"

"Where you love me and you're selfish where I'm concerned... and that you love me."

That made him laugh and Gibbs gladly repeated everything she wanted to hear, he watched silently as she leaned closer to him convinced she was going to kiss him, but she didn't she lingered close to his mouth for a few seconds, but then pulled away from him before whispering in his ear "Could we go somewhere else, 'cause I want to kiss you."

As he knew her, he couldn't help himself but tease her a bit more "Is that really all you want to do?" He wondered in a seductive voice.

Her lips made a sexy 'o' of surprise but then she slapped him playfully on the chest before looking at him. "Excuse me, agent Gibbs, but I'm a respectable woman... well most of the time anyway, and I have to admit that you bring the best out of me, but also the..." Her voice trailed off ...

"The what?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Huh, the... I'll show you that one of these days... maybe." She said laughingly.

"Want us to grab a coffee or something?"

"No, thanks," Abby said at first, but then changed her mind. "Sure, why not."

**000**

At the Coffee Shop Gibbs and Abby decided to take a booth in the back of the shop so they wouldn't be disturb while talking and fortunately for them, the coffee shop didn't close until midnight, so they could take their time.

At first both of them felt a bit uneasy, as if suddenly, they realized the implication of their being involved with one another. Everything would be different from now on and yet nothing had changed at all actually, their relationship was simply taking the next logical step. So why were they feeling a bit uneasy around each other? The feeling was ridiculous and they both knew it. They've known each other for so long and yet, both of them were scared, so much could go wrong... They might not like kissing one another and what if the sex wasn't good? One can't assume anything. The questions they were asking themselves would only have answers once they would try things out. There was no need to panic, was there?

Gibbs reached across the table to take her hand in his as if he was sensing her fears. He squeezed it a little and looked into her eyes as he told her. "We've always done a great job together at solving crimes, Abbs, we'll do an awesome job with this new thing between us, I'm sure."

"I know, it's just..."

"I know," he replied before lifting her hand to his lips to place a kiss on her knuckles.

Abby's response was to smile at him. She had wanted this for so long and now she felt petrified. Abby knew she was being stupid, but the man she was with wasn't just any man, it was Gibbs — finally — the man she'd loved for so long, she'd wanted for so long, would soon be hers. She'd had to watch him go out with other women, women who couldn't make him happy because they'd wanted to chase away the ghosts he's lived with for so long.. While the ghosts were part of who he is. They belonged in his past, but he can't do anything else than to carry them with him, and they were incapable to understand that, there was no use to try and start something with him. None of them stood a chance.

Abby looked at him when she reached for her coffee, she had decided to go for coffee instead of her usual Caf Pow!

"So you're friends with Captain Rabb?" He asked her out of the blue.

Abby almost chocked on her coffee. Leave it to Gibbs to ask such a question when you're about to drink something hot.

She put her coffee down and said. "Yes, I'm friends with Harm, he happens to have a great personality and a great heart too..." She started to tell him, but trailed off when she saw something change in the NCIS team leader's eyes.

"I still can't believe I made such a mistake. I let my feelings takeover my better judgment. And that all because he was a JAG lawyer."

"Oh Gibbs, don't dwell about it, you corrected your mistake because you listened to your gut and he doesn't hold it against you." She told him, reaching out across the table with her other hand to caress his cheek.

"Maybe he doesn't, but I do, I would have convicted him because he's a lawyer."

"No you wouldn't have."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because you search for the truth, no matter where it takes you. That's who you are Gibbs; no matter what your first impression of someone is, you always go for the truth and that's one of the reason why I fell in love with you."

He smiled at her words. "The truth is what really matters."

Abby nodded her head affirmatively. "Exactly, no matter who it might be, someone import or of not if that someone has done something wrong, you make sure that justice is served, nobody's above the law..." She smiled.

Once again he marveled at how much faith she had in him even after all that he had put her through.

He wondered how he could have thought for one minute, one second even that it would be better for both of them if they weren't a part of each other's life anymore even for a while. Gibbs realized at that precise moment that he wouldn't have survived much longer without her even with Mike Franks at his side as a friend. He needed her, she had become such an important part of his life over the years that he had almost taken her for granted.

He'd forgotten only for a short moment in time that, nothing in life ever was. Abby wasn't granted and never would be. She was not an object he could dispose of whenever he wanted.

Gibbs watched as she took another sip of her coffee, waiting for her to put the cup down again. When she did so he asked, "how come you were visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?"

"I once came with Harm, when he was still Commander at the time, he showed me the name of his father in silver letters on the wall and told me his story and since then that's where I come when I feel blue."

His curiosity picked he wanted to know more, "What happened to Captain Rabb's father and why did you say Rabb has a great heart?"

Abby smiled at his questions, the jealously he had seemed to be feeling toward Harmon Rabb, Jr, earlier, had completely vanished, now he wanted to know more about the man himself.

"Harm's father's F-4 Phantom II, has been shot down on Christmas Eve 1969. A few hours after he took off of the USS Ticonderoga. Harmon never knew what happened to him, that is up, until a few years ago. They never found he's father's body after he was shot down, so he was reported MIA, which convinced Harm that his namesake was still alive."

"And was he?"

"Has been for many years, before he was killed."

"What happened?"

"Like I said, Harmon was convinced that is father was still alive, and it became an obsession for him. He wanted and needed to know what had happened to his father no matter what he had to do for it or how long it would take him to get to the truth. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Gibbs smiled simply nodding in acknowledgment.

"Anyway, after he gathered some information and, not sure of their authenticity, he decided to take a risk and went to Russia, where he finally found out what had happened to Harmon Rabb, Sr. And with it he was able to put a final point to a lifetime quest." She told him with sadness in her voice.

"I take it, Rabb didn't find his father alive and well?" He asked her softly.

"No, unfortunately he didn't. His father lived with a woman on a farm. He still loved his wife you know, but after many years..." she trailed off.

"I see."

Abby continued the story after a moment, "... one morning, the woman he lived with went to wash herself in the river and, as she was cleaning herself with river water, soldiers appeared, they were ready to..." her voice trailed off once more incapable of saying the words that needed to come. He eyes watered at the simple thought of how scared the woman must have been.

The end of the story came out of her mouth in a broken voice. Harm's father came out from behind them, and yelled, while the woman's brother tried to stop him, thinking that maybe they wouldn't do anything, but Harm, Sr. aimed his gun and shoot some of the soldiers before they started shooting at him, and ended up killing him. Seeing how brave the American at been, the woman's brother fought as well and killed the remaining soldiers with his bare hands before he buried Harm's father in the Taiga as well has the dead military men. He never told her where he had buried the body to protect her, because if someone who come and see her pay her respects, she could be killed."

A lonely tear rolled down Abby's cheeks as she fell silent. Gibbs realized once more that everyone had their demons to fight. Rabb had his demons too like he had his own they were different and yet so similar.

"It's unfair, life shouldn't be so cruel on anyone."

"No one has any saying on that, Abby. No one." Gibbs stood then and came to sit next to her to pull her toward him, in hope, the hug would reassure and comfort her at the same time.

She snaked her hand under the lapel of his jacket and let her head rest on his shoulder while her free hand gripped his T-shirt, snuggling herself even closer to him. As if she wanted to make sure it was really him and that he was really there with her.

They stayed like this for a moment, simply enjoying each other's company.

Gibbs' hand slowly rubbed her back in a soothing way.

"I think, Harm finally found happiness." Abby said softly after a moment.

"With Colonel... what was her name again? McKenzie, was it not?" Gibbs asked.

Abby pulled herself up to looked at him amazed that he could remember the colonel's name. "Yeah, it was Colonel Sarah McKenzie, but it turned out that the feelings weren't mutual, well according to her words, she was tired waiting for him. But if you're asking me that simply means, the Colonel wasn't really in love with him, because when you do love someone, you'll wait for that particular person as long as it takes. At least that's what love means to me." She said as she looked in Gibbs' deep blue ice pools intensely.

Gibbs didn't say a word, he just looked at the green eyes that were watching him in return. Slowly unconsciously almost, he leaned forward and pressed his lips with hers. A simple brush of the lips. He pulled back just enough to be able to look at her, the sight that met him warmed his heart. Abby was smiling. Reassured and more confident, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, leaned in again to press his lips one more time to hers.

This time, the kiss was more demanding and passionate, Abby parted her lips and he tentatively let his tongue venture inside the warmth of her mouth, she moaned slightly in pleasure. They broke the kiss somewhat abruptly in need for air. She pressed her forehead against his, as she fought to regain her breath.

He did the same, and when he finally had regained enough to speak, he said in a thick voice full of desire. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Gladly." Was her answer.

TBC...

**Thanks for reading and I apologize for the mistakes. The next chapter will come in a few days, as I'm working on an update of one of my other stories, but it's a surprise. **

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed and favorite and follows this story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I hope you will enjoy this chapter as I hope you have enjoy the others. I know this one took me a little longer to post, but I'm trying to update my other stories as well. Karin Hansson is mine and my friend Daenar's as well as Cole Graham and Nathan Walker. If you want to know more about Karin Hansson feel free to read "EVER AFTER, AFTER ALL"**

_**Another disclaimer, just to avoid any misunderstandings: I don't intend to imply that Georgetown University discriminates against handicapped people. I just wanted this story to take place in existing locations. The events are entirely fictional and if anyone should feel offended, we sincerely apologize. Also, we are very aware that nowadays, in most places, handicapped people are well integrated into society. However, experience has shown that sadly, this isn't always the case. But we don't want to blame society in general. We know that in the last decades, the situation and general acceptance of handicapped people has improved a lot. So, please, take our tale for what it is: a description of what problems can still occur – but, fortunately, less and less. Let's hope things will continue that way. **_

**This specific note come from the story "EVER AFTER, AFTER ALL." I felt the need to paste it here as well because there will be references to this particular story in this and further chapter so...**

**Previously on: "Stop fooling Yourself"**

_Gibbs didn't say a word he just looked at the green eyes that were watching him. Slowly __unconsciously __almost, he leaned forward and pressed his lips with hers. A simple brush of the lips. He pulled back just enough to be able to long at her, the sight that met him warmed his heart. Abby was smiling back at him. Reassured and more confident, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, leaned in again to press his leaps one more time with hers._

_This time, the kiss was more demanding and passionate, Abby parted her lips and he tentatively let his tongue venture inside her warm of her mouth, she moaned slightly in pleasure. They broke the kiss somewhat abruptly in need for air. She pressed her forehead against his, and she fought to regain her breath. _

_He did the same, and when he finally had regained enough breath to speak he asked, he a thick voice full of desire. "What do you say we get out of here?"_

_"Gladly." Was her answer._

**Chapter Four **

Gibbs stood up and slid himself out of the booth they'd been sitting in, he reached out his hand then and helped Abby out of it. He left some bills on their table and they walked together holding hands toward the exit of the coffee shop. Gibbs reached out to opened the door when he saw a familiar face appear. Abby's face lit up immediately when she saw him.

"Harm!"

"A smiled caressed the Captain's lips when he saw his friend. Abby!"

Gibbs watched silently has Harmon Rabb, Jr, kept the door open for a little bit longer as necessary. Then he saw a beautiful woman wheel herself inside the coffee shop followed closely by a golden retriever. She was radiating happiness from inside out. Gibbs understood instantly why the Captain had fallen in love with her, she was really beautiful, but something told him that this wasn't the only reason why Rabb had fallen for her.

Gibbs crouched down as the dog approached him, Wings come here, boy! She call, but the dog didn't seem to care as he was way too happy with the way Gibbs was scratching his him behind his ears. He heard the woman sighed heavily in frustration.

"It's okay," Gibbs said.

"Come on, boy, make some room for your owner."

Normally Karin Hansson would have made a comment about not needing to have more room to be able to maneuver her chair, but when she looked in Gibbs she only saw respect and some admiration, her smile appeared on her lips by way of thank you. Once she was inside Harm let go of the door and went straight to hug the NCIS forensic scientist. After a moment, he pulled back to be able to look at her "You're as beautiful as ever, Abby."

"And you are as handsome as ever!"

"If I didn't know you two better, I would be rising the red flag." Both Gibbs and Karin said in unison. Their comment made everyone laugh. Wings went back to Karin and in no time, he was standing on his back paws, his front paws on her lap licking her face.

Abby giggled at the scene playing before her.

"Yes, Wings, you are a good boy now let me breathe, please, will you."

The Labrador left, pulled back and sat next to her chair then. "Sorry about that." She addressed both Gibbs and Abby.

"No problem," They answered.

"It's because you were laughing." Many dogs have a tendency to act that way when someone's laughing. "Yes, they have, but our buddy here does that quite often with me."

"That's because you are so special" Harm intervened.

"Thanks, sweetheart."

"It's the truth."

"I know, I know." She looked over had him then, and said as she saw her man was still hugging the forensic scientist, Karin added. Harm I love you so much, but you seem to have lost your most basic manners..." At his fiancé's words, the Captain let go of Abby and lifted an eye brow.

"Huh?"

Karin didn't say another word to him and turned her wheelchair to face Gibbs, to introduce herself to him.

"As I see that you seem to be more interested in hugging a friend of yours than to introduce the love of your life, I'll do it myself, Mister Rabb." She told him, her eyes glittering with mischief. Gibbs had to refrain himself from laughing, Rabb will never be bored with her, he thought. Harm smiled back at her and smirked "You still can't wait two minutes, huh." He replied as he came closer to her.

"You know by now, I never like to way, life is too short and too full of interesting things to wait and by the way, why should I have to wait when I can do it myself?" She said, then reached out and placed her hand on his neck and pulled him toward her for a kiss.

"I can't argue with that, can I?"

When she looked at the blue eyed man standing in front of her again, Karin Hansson extended her hand, Gibbs took it in his and immediately noticed the engagement ring. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Special agent Gibbs, isn't it?"

Gibbs nodded his head and smiled before he answered, "Nice to meet you, Karin."

The woman in the wheelchair titled her head to the side, surprised by the fact that the man who was shaking her hand already knew her name.

Abby looked at her then, "don't bother, he knows everything or almost everything without anyone telling him."

"Ooookay."

Abby's eyes then caught the ring on her finger. "Oh my god" she exclaimed before looking at Harm and then at Karin again. "Congratulations! Oh and by the way, I'm Abby Sciuto." The forensic scientist introduced herself before she bent over to hug Karin Hansson.

"I know," The woman in the wheelchair replied, I've heard a lot about you, to the point even, I was getting jealous of you."

At Karin's words Abby pulled back. "You don't have to, I promise."

"Relax, Abby..." Harm told her, "Kare is only teasing you, she knows she has no reason to be jealous of you."

Abby Sciuto looked at the woman she was still holding in her arm and noticed to glint of mischief in her eyes.

"She always like that?"

Harm chuckled and answered "Pretty much, yes, one of the reason I fell in love with her." Abby turned her attention back on Rabb again. "And when exactly where you planning to tell that were going to be an husband?"

We were coming to see you actually, but Karin wanted to drop by this Coffee Shop because of a few special memories she has here.

A waiter approached then and hugged Karin warmly and greeted Harm.

"Hey how are the two of you doing? It's been a while since I've seen you both.'

The woman extend her hand in lieu of response. Smiling brightly.

"Way to go, girl!"

"As I see you got to know her better." He said to Harm with a knowing look.

"And I decided to never let her go."

"Excellent!"

The waiter spotted her dog sitting next her, "Hey buddy," He said as he patted the dog's head, Wings' tail wagged in appreciation.

"The usual?" He asked. Both the Captain and Karin nodded their heads, the he turn toward Gibbs and Abby to take their orders.

Abby looked over at Gibbs then, he could see the longing in her eyes, and the wonder. He wouldn't say but the NCIS team leading felt the same kind of longing, Rabb and Hansson were so much in love with one another, and he wonder if he and Abby had that kind of love between them. Anyone who with see him with her would say yes, but he felt a few doubt creeping up inside of him again.

"As I recall you never a man of many words, Gibbs."

"Still not." Gibbs replied simply.

"That's not exactly what I would say," Karin Hansson said then, surprising both men and Abby with her comment. Three pairs of eyes were looking at her now. "First of all, please don't stare at me like that. And secondly, from why I just saw, you are a man of words, Gibbs, except you don't vocalized then, you're more talking with your eyes than with your voice. Which probably means that you are more a man of action. You are definitely not a smooth talker."

The woman was met with stunned silence. Abby was the first to break it. "Wow, you were able to describe Gibbs and you don't even know him. You've only met him five minutes ago. I'm impressed."

"Apparently, I forgot to mention that's a great observer."

"I've not always been that great an observer." She said, her eyes clouding, briefly. A brief moment that didn't escape Gibbs.

Under this happy facade, Karin Hansson was hiding a deep wound, a wound that hadn't completely healed yet. Gibbs was certain of it, Harm had helped her chase her demons, but at least one still haunted her. He had seen it before, he had lived it too. Karin was using the same kind of protection shield as DiNozzo did.

Being cheerful to fool everyone and hide their pain

He watched as Abby let go of her. Harm approached then and placed himself behind the chair and placed his forearms on her shoulders, she instantly grabbed his hand, and slowly leaned backwards, Harm leaned in and kissed her lips softly, then pulled back as softly just enough so that his lips were close to her ear. "I love you, you're safe, he can't do you any harm anymore, sweetheart."

The interacting between them right now only comforted Gibbs in his suspicions, Karin was indeed deeply wounded. Gibbs wondered briefly what or who could have hurt her so much. For some reason he had the gut feeling that whatever it was it wasn't gonna be over soon.

**000**

A few minutes later, they were sitting together at a table sipping their orders while talking and laughing.

"How long have you been together?" Kare asked suddenly.

The answer wasn't given to her immediately. So she added, "Guys, I might not know you for a long time, but I'm in a wheelchair, I'm not blind and your secret is safe with us."

"There's no need to clarify that with us, Karin, we know that the only different between and us is that you wheel through life and that we walk through it."

"Sorry," she replied simply.

"No need to be sorry," Abby told her, "we understand, we _really_ do."

"To answer your question, we're together since this afternoon, but in love with each other for a very long time I think."

"Yes." Abby replied with a smile on her face.

"What was it that decided you finally give in to your feelings?" Was the next question they had to respond to.

"Long story," Gibbs said.

"The most important thing is that we are together now." Abby answered, reaching for Gibbs' hand.

"How did your love story begun?"

"I hired him to save my job at Georgetown university, and he ended up saving me as well." Kare said smiling.

"We saved each other, actually." Harmon Rabb, Jr. clarified.

Karin Hansson reached for her hot cocoa then and sipped at it. "We did, didn't we?"

"And the best is yet to come." Gibbs told them, which surprised them a little bit.

At ease now, with Gibbs and Abby, Karin gradually relaxed as she felt she had nothing to prove to them, they were like Harm and she had no difficulties to understand why the man she fell in love with had become friend with Abby.

"I wouldn't know what to asked more for. A big part of my dream came true."

"Kids, maybe?" Abby ventured.

"Yeah, then my dream would be complete, but even if we don't become parents' it'll be fine. I'm happy as things are now."

The forensic scientist simply nodded smiling, then she eyed Gibbs for a moment and she could see he was thinking the same thing she did. Karin wanted kids. The woman was happy Abby had no doubt about it, but there was some sort of dark shadow clouding her eyes from time to time. One thing was sure though she had no doubt that Harm loved her. Abby's curious nature crept up again and she made a mental not to talk to Gibbs about it.

"I'm sure you will become parents' one day and you'll both do a wonderful job!" Abigail said convectively.

"Let's hope you're right." Kare and Harm said together.

Wings place his head on Karin's lap which didn't go unnoticed by Gibbs. Harm's fiancé wasn't telling them everything, but Wings did. Harm saw what the dog had done too so he decided to try and change the subject saw she would get her mind off whatever bad thing she was thinking.

"Honey, why don't you tell them why our dog his called Wings?"

"Yes, I would like to hear the story behind its name." Abby said.

A soft smile immediately found its way on her lips and she thought about the day that her dog entered her life. She took another sip of her cocoa and then started to tell her dog's tale.

"When I first arrived here, to Annapolis, things weren't easy, I had trouble to find an apartment and everything, people weren't always comprehensive, something I can call the usual for me though I have to admit that it gradually improved over the years and since Harm put up his little stunt, it's even better, but that's another story. Then when I finally found a place, I felt lonely at night and a bit useless, one day, my best friend Cole Graham, knocks on my door, and he seemed somehow pregnant..." She trailed off.

Her last comment earned her strange looks from Abby and Gibbs while Harmon Rabb just chuckled as he knew the story already.

Kare giggled when she saw the expression of both their faces. Then she went on with her story. "Of course the man wasn't really pregnant, he just looked that way because he was hiding something under his jacket. When he slowly unzipped it, a cute ball of fur was reveled. Cole simply put him on my lab and when I held he liked my nosed so I melted. My friend then told me the puppy story and I was scandalized and I took care of him. I decided to turn around his handicap and use it to make it his strength. They didn't want him because he's ears are a little bigger than normal, that doesn't mean he's less of a dog. People would say stupid things about him and everything just like they can do with humans. The dog won't love you less cause you're different, or because he's different, so, I didn't really get it, people should really learn things and see behind the façade before judging. Anyway once I heard someone say, At the next gust of wind the pup's gone!' And I decided to take the best out of the worst because I pitied the poor thing. I said to myself, 'Well, if the little guy flies away with the wind, his ears will be his wings! So, he's not just different - he's a real wonder!' End of story. That's the story, behind our dog's name.

"That's a really nice and beautiful story."

Abby stood up and walked toward, Karin and Wings. She crouched next to them first hugging Karin with one of her trading hugs before patting the dog's head. Witnessing the scene the two men could help but smile.

Harm noticed that his fiancé wasn't afraid or reluctant anymore when someone wanted to hug her. That was a big step forward.

"You're in good hands with Harm, I'll make a wonderful husband." She told the woman she was hugging.

Kare simply nodded at her words. Then the forensic scientist addressed Wings "...and you are a wonderful and special dog."

As if he had understood everything Wings wagged its tail and started to lick Abby's face. "Yeah, you're a good boy."

Karin wanted to tell her Golden retriever to stop but when she saw how happy Abby seemed to be she didn't instead she said. "He really likes you."

"All animals love her," Gibbs answered. Without thinking he added "What is there not to love about her?" Surprising everyone at the table including himself. He caught Abby staring at him in amazement.

She never would have thought he would say such a thing in public. She stood again and refrained herself from running into his arms. She came back to her place and then leaned in to him to kiss not carrying one damn bit what anyone would be thinking of her of them, she loved Gibbs more than anything in the world and she was proud to show it to the world.

Harm and Karin looked at one another smiling visibly happy for the couple kissing in front of them. Kare leaned in to kiss her man then. Wings pushed its snout against Karin Hansson's hand that was still resting on her lab, but she didn't react as she absorbed in kissing the man she loved, he tried again, but still no reaction, defeated he decided to lay down on the floor and close his eyes soon after he was sleeping.

TBC...

**Little additional note: Thanks for reading as always, I'm sorry for the delay, but I've warned you there would be one this time didn't I? I promise I'll to my best to post another update on this story pretty soon.**

**And as always I would like to apologize for the mistakes and mess ups**


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